Rail retaining key



June 14, 1932. c, YQUNG 1,863,146

RAIL RETAINING KEY Filed Oct. 17, 1931 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR: rlas lnmm A TTORNEYS.

June 14, 1932.

c. D. YOUNG 1,863,146

RAIL RETAINING KEY Filed Oct. 17, 1951 2 sheets-Sheet 2 .F IG E WITNESSES:

A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES CHARLES D. YOUNG, F HAVERFORD, PENNSYLVANIA BAIL RETAINING KEY Application filed October 17, 1931. Serial No. 569,357.

This invention relates to rail retaining keys, and more particularly to means for retaining rails upon underlying tie plates, though in using the term tie plate herein,

E I mean to include any form of plate, tie or foundation, upon which the base of a rail is adapted to rest or to be secured.

Heretoforemany devices have been proposed, in the nature of rail fasteners or 16 spring plates, for holding rails to their tie plates. Where ordinary track spikes are employed for this purpose it is found that the heads of the spikes are in time lifted to positions above the rail flanges, incident to vibration or movement of the rails, and once the spikes become loosened from their original positions they lose their retaining capacity, and the rails become free to move vertically and longitudinally. here rail fasteners 29 which bear with positive engagement or heavy spring pressure upon the base flanges of rails are employed, it is found that under the pressure of heavy loads the rails will move vertically and carry with them their 535 tie plates and ties, thus causing the ties to be loosened from the underlying ballast, which is a most undesirable condition.

The object, therefore, of my present invention is to provide, in combination with a rail and tie plate, a retaining key which when applied to a tie plate assumes a predetermined position above the rail flange and clear therefrom, thus permitting the rail to move with relation to the tie plate within certain desired limits, but preventing eXcessive movement. This object I accomplish by means of comparatively simple and inexpensive forms of tie plates and retaining keys.

Other objects and advantages characterizing my present invention will become apparent from the description of several examples of the practice thereof which follows hereinafter. having reference to the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

Fig. I represents a plan view with the rail shown in section, of a rail and tie plate assembly. with one form of spring key and fulcrum combination shown at the left hand of the figure and another such combination shown at the right hand of the figure.

Fig. II represents a cross-section of the same, taken as indicated by the lines II-II of Fig. I, with the keys shown in side elevation.

Fig. III represents a fragmentary plan view similar to that of Fig. I, but showing a modified form of tie plate and spring key assembly; and,

Fig. IV represents a cross-section of the same, taken as indicated by the lines IV-IV of Fig. III, with the keys shown in side elevation.

In the drawings, my invention is shown applied to forms of tie plates and retaining keys generally similar to those described in my pending application for U. S. Letters Patent, Serial No. 550,432, filed July 13, 1931. In each figure of the drawings, the rail is designated at 1 and its base or flange is designated at 2. The rail base 2 is seated between upstanding longitudinal ribs 3 of an underlying tie plate. For convenience two forms of spring key a d tie plate assemblies are shown in Figs. I and II, one arrangement being shown at the right hand side of the rail 1 and another being shown at the left hand side. Accordingly one half of the tie plate is designated at 4a and the other half at 4]), there being selected for illustration a tie plate of gradually diminishing thickness effecting a-slight inclination to the rail 1 from the perpendicular to the tie 29.

With reference to the assembly shown at the left hand of Figs. I and II, there is shown a rail retaining key 5a in combination with fulcrum members 6a formed out of the tie plate portion 4a. In this example the fulcrum members 6a comprise opposite upstanding lugs punched from the tie plate and turned over so that their ends 7 lie in a substantially horizontal plane. At the underside of the lug ends 7, smoothly curved bearing surfaces 8 are provided for engagement with the spring key 5a. As shown in Fig. II, the opening formed by the punching of the lugs affords a sharp angular edge 9 beneath the fulcrum members 6a.

The spring key 5a of this assembly has an upwardly deflected end portion 10 hearing on the top surface of the rib 3, which is adj acent to the edge of the rail, and projecting inwardly above the rail flange 2 parallel to its slope and with a predetermined clearance therefrom. At-the opposite end the key 5a is bent to form a spring loop 11 which terminates in a sharply bent extremity 12 adapted to catch yieldingly on the angular surface 9 of the tie plate. At the intermediate portion 13 between the loop 11 and the end portion 10, the key 5a is bowed with a curvature complementary to the curved bearing surfaces 8 of the fulcrum members 6a.

The manner of assembling the spring key 5a willbe apparent from the above description, it being merely necessary in applying the key to direct it properly towards the rail base and to deliver a blow upon the back of the spring loop 11 to cause the key to move 1nward, with its end passing over the rib 3, to the point where the sharply bent extremity 12 catches on the edge 9 of the tie plate opening. When so driven, the spring loop 11 will expand to cause the key 5a to be seated in its predetermined proper position. To disengage the key 5a from the tie plate, it is merely necessary. to compress the spring loop 11, as by a wedge applied beneath the loop, and then to apply a force in a direction transverse to the rail to cause the key to move upward.

v Wi "h reference to the assembly at the right hand of Figs. I and II, there is shown a rail retaining key 5?) in combination with a fulcrum member 6?) which in this example constitutes a separate attachmentrather than an 6?; is in the form of a stirrup of inverted U- shape with its ends 13 passing through slots .14. in the tie plate and bent over to lie in a horizontal plane. The stirrup, ends 13 are accommodated within a'recess 15'of corre spending-size at the bottom of the tie plate.

At the under side of the central portion of the fulcrum member 6?) a smoothly curved bearing surface 16 is provided for engagement with the spring key 512; The portion 46 a of the tie plate is formed with a boss 17 having a comparatively sharp edge 18 adjacent to the fulcrum member 66.

The spring key 512 of this assembly has a turned end portion 19 hearing on the rib 3 and projecting above the rail flange 2 in a direction parallel to its slope and with a predetermined clearance therefrom. At its opposite end the key 5?) is bent to form a loop 20, which terminates in a sharply bent extremity 21 adapted to catch yieldingly on. the

inner edge 18 oft-he boss 17. At the intermediate portion between .the loop and the end portion 19, the key 5?) is relatively fiat except for an offset 22 which iscurved complementary to the curved bearing surface 16 of the fulcrum member 66.

- The manner of assembling the spring key 56 is similar to the manner of assembling the previously described key 5a, it being merely necessary in applying the key to direct it properly towards the rail base and to deliver a blow upon the back of the spring loop 20 to cause the key to move inward with its end 19 projecting above the rail base and clear therefrom, and to the point where the sharply bent extremity 21 passes over the edge 18 of the boss 17. WVhen so driven, the spring loop 20 will expand to cause the key 5?) to be seated in its predetermined proper position.

With reference to the assembly of Figs. III and IV, there is shown a tie plate having fulcrum member at each side thereof and spring keys 50. In this example the fulcrum members 60 are in the form of oppositely projecting lugs and are substantially similar to the fulcrum members 6a previously described, except that their curved bearing surfaces 23 are described with shorter radii. At the outer edge of the tie plate 40 an upstanding marginal boss 24-. is provided. The spring key 50 is formed with a succession of waves Screw spikes 28 are conveniently employed in this example for securing the tie plate 40 to the tie 29.

The manner of assembling the spring key" 50 Will be apparent from the above description. The key is driven towards the rail base to the point where the concaved region 27 engages the underside of the fulcrum 60. At this point the sharply bent extremity 26 will catehon the boss 24 of the tie plate in such manner as to resist dislodgement of the spring key, and the end 25 will project above the rail base at a predetermined distance therefrom.

In the various arrangements described above, it will be seen that in addition to the upstanding ribs 3, the tie plates are provided with opposed bearing surfaces, comprising the underside of a fulcrum member and an additional irregular surface on the top of the tie plate. The retaining key in each example is wedged between these op of the tie plate rib with its end projecting above the rail base; and the key is driven to a point where it catches on these surfaces and resists movement in either direction laterally. The curved or irregular portions of the retaining keys and the corresponding curved or irregular opposed bearing sur face on the tie plate cause the key when driven to seat itself in the proper position with relation to the rail so that in a length of track all of the retaining keys will be uniformly applied.

While I have described a number of examples of the practice of my invention, it will be apparent that other modifications may be made in the form of tie plate, spring key and fulcrum member herein described, without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I

1. In combination with a rail, and a tie plate having a rib adjacent to the rail base,

-means on said tie plate affording. opposed bearing surfaces, and a retaining key wedged between said opposed bearing surfaces and said tie plate rib with its end projecting above the rail base, said retaining key and bearing surfaces being so formed as to cause said key when driven to catch on said surfaces with its inner end at a predetermined position clear of the rail base.

2. In combination with a rail, and a tie plate having a rib adjacent to the rail base, means on said tie plate afi'ording opposed bearing surfaces of irregular contour, and a resilient retaining key wedged between said opposed bearing surfaces and said tie plate rib with its end projecting above the rail base, said retaining key being formed with irregular surfaces substantially complementary to said bearing surfaces whereby when driven it is adapted to catch on said bearing surfaces with its inner end at a predetermined position clear of the rail base.

3. In combinationwith a rail, and a tie plate having a rib adjacent to the rail base, a

fulcrum member on the tie plate afiording a curved bearing surface, and a spring key having one end engaging said rib and projecting over the rail base clear there-from, and hav ing its other end engaging the tie plate, and having an intermediate curved portion complementary to the curved bearing surface of the fulcrum member and in contact therewith. j

4. In combination with a rail, and a tie plate having a rib adjacent to the rail base, a fulcrum member on the tie plate affordi ing a curved bearing surface, a spring key having one end engaging said rib and projecting over the rail base clear therefrom, and having its other end sharply bent to catch yieldingly on the tie plate, and having an intermediate curved portion complementary to the curved bearing surface of the fulcrum member and in contact therewith.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 13th day of October, 1931.

a CHARLES D. YOUNG. 

